I suspect that the days of the Goretex type waterproof jacket being the "standard" for outdoor wear are probably limited.
It has it's place, I have loads of them and wear them, but it is far from ideal for a lot of purposes.
Despite what the magazines say the waterproof membrane isn't really very breathable at all. Just maybe it is a little better than the old Barbour waxed cotton coats that we used to all wear but not by so very much in practice if you are walking or taking other moderate exercise.
Observation has shown me that most people, most of the time, simply don't need a jacket that is 100% waterproof no matter what the marketing man keeps telling them. Sometimes I'm only out for a few hours, or the weather is showery or the weather is mostly dry or I'm going to be walking hard or I'll only be a mile from the car and will be back soon or... In all of these situations there are better solutions than the completely waterproof membrane and as they will breath better so you will actually be warmer and drier.
My solution to this problem, and other solutions are available, was to go to the military surplus windproof smock. Now already the marketing men and magazine adverts will be pointing out to you that such a smock isn't waterproof and that you can buy it for only £10 so it can't be worth anything. what they miss is the fact that is isn't completely waterproof is one if its big advantages as it has no membrane and so is extremely breathable - this means that in most average weather conditions you stay drier and warmer in your windproof smock than you do in a damp, sticky but totally waterproof jacket. You can get wash in or spay on waterproofing treatments for fabric and this works really well on a surplus windproof smock (you'll be surprised) and will leave you with a jacket that is shower proof. Again the magazine adverts and marketing men will tell you this isn't enough - however I'm out at least 100 days per year in Ireland and the Hebrides and I find that it is enough, and inf fact and improvement over the waterproof membrane, for probably 95% of those days. The magazine adverts are, quite simply, wrong.
The military also provide a waterproof membrane solution in the form of surplus goretex type jackets. Now, maybe people fail to understand that the smocks and waterproof layers were designed as a clothing system and so they need to be considered and worn in this way. The intention was that the smock would be worn in the vast majority of conditions and, as I've detailed above, it is perfect for this and as well as keeping you warmer and drier than a goretex type layer it also has great pockets and is robust. If your brain is telling you that you are going to be out 10 hours in constant heavy rain then you put on your goretex layer UNDER your smock. The modern surplus goretex jackets are lightweight and packable and so it is a trivial matter to have one with you on days when you even think you might need it. Putting your smock on over the goretex layer means that you keep all your pockets and the utility of your smock but you are completely waterproof. It also means that as soon as the rain stops the smock dries very quickly indeed and so in a short while you are taking off the goretex layer and going back to wearing only the much more breathable smock.
Now, of course, some of you quite rightly will not believe me. However, the good news is that this clothing system is very cheap to buy. I'm sure if I called it the "All Weather Dynamic Clothing System," paid for a few adverts and did a bit of product placement by having high profile people wear it while sitting in a forest I could charge £800 for it and you'd all be beating my door down. However, as a special service I will tell you that you can buy the smock and goretex layer for not much money at all. So, if you don't believe me then buy it, wash some waterproofing into the smock, and give it a try. If you really hate it and can't get on with it after a year or two then put it onto ebay and you can sell it for pretty much what you paid for it. If you love it then you can send me £800.
